


As Transcribed

by InkWitch (serkestic)



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Love Confessions, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 13:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3980014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serkestic/pseuds/InkWitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate title: <span class="u">The Budding Romantic Relationship between Matsuoka Gou and Hazuki Nagisa, As Transcribed by Ryugazaki Rei, With Faithful Detail and Little to No Exaggeration Unless For The Sake of Aesthetic, But That Is a Given, I’m Sure</span></p><p>[for <a href="http://gouallout.tumblr.com/">gouallout</a>: day 6]</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Transcribed

**Author's Note:**

> **romance**  
>  I tried to take the prompt out of the fic. That’s following the prompt, right?  
> This is really long, really verbose and, I hope, very, very Rei. If you survive, don’t throw me into a trashcan, I swear I was going for ‘entertaining and endearing’, not ‘beat me with a stick why does Rei talk so much’.

**From** : Ryugazaki Rei <butterfly.rei@docomo.ne.jp>

 **To** : Matsuoka Rin <redshark@softbank.ne.jp>, Yamazaki Sousuke <whalelord@docomo.ne.jp>, Tachibana Makoto <makoto.tachibana@ezweb.ne.jp>, Nanase Haruka <swimfree@docomo.ne.jp>

 **Subject** : The Events of Which Much is Ambiguous, But Will Now Be Cleared Up

 

The events that I speak of are, of course, the growing romance of our friends Hazuki Nagisa-kun and Matsuoka Gou-san, which culminated in their now being in an exclusive romantic relationship with each other. This has, justifiably, completely bewildered certain parties who live an extensive distance from us and who did not have front-row tickets to this fairly slow-moving show – coincidentally leading to my inbox being filled with angry, confused emails demanding explanation (or retribution? Your tones were not very clear) for the past week. While I understand your concern, Rin-san and Sousuke-san, seeing as how Gou-san is your biological and pseudo sister respectively, I do not appreciate being the one all these thinly veiled threatening, interrogative emails are directed to. However, I also understand that you are incapable of directing them to Nagisa-kun himself, as would be appropriate, as he is everyone’s weak spot. You are not judged for this.

As for Haruka-san and Makoto-san, your inquisitive queries should also have been addressed to the _couple in question_ and not an innocent bystander, i.e. _me_ ; but the two of them are being infuriatingly elusive even to those who live in the same area as them, so I shall do my best to give you a full report of the happenings to assuage your curiosity.

It started, officially at least, on last Valentine’s Day. I suppose that technically the two of them had harbored feelings for each other previous to that date, for neither of them were very surprised by each other’s actions; regardless, it all came to head on February the fourteenth.

Nagisa-kun had gotten two gifts, and I one, from our female classmates by lunch time. We had made plans to meet Gou-san and Hanamura-san on the rooftop for our meal. So we headed there directly. The two ladies awaited us rather impatiently, it seemed to me, for Hanamura-san’s eyes were bright and eager and Gou-san looked strangely flushed. Of course, I thought nothing of it at the time for it had been an unusually warm day, about 35°C I would say, so it was understandable if the two were feeling the heat.

As we settled under the shadows, however, Gou-san greeted me a Happy Valentine like usual and handed me my gift, a box of Lindt’s shell chocolates decorated with a lovely red ribbon flower. Gou-san knew me well; for a few minutes, I was happily engrossed in thanking her and opening my box to share the top layer. When I looked up once more, Nagisa-kun was holding a wonderful rose-pink cotton bag, tied neatly at the top with black and white ribbons twisted prettily.

(I must take this chance to congratulate Gou-san on her excellent decorative skills – her meticulous approach renders any adornment a perfect look to them.)

Nagisa-kun responded with his usual level of exuberance and delight, but – as I am writing this in hindsight, I am able to include many observations that I had been particularly oblivious to at the time of occurrence. I am hardly to be blamed for my inattention seeing as how I was not in full possession of the facts. Neither Nagisa-kun nor Gou-san had confided in me of their feelings, for they were both under the impression that they were entertaining quite fanciful notions, believing each other to be better than they deserve. I have since informed them of their complete and utter buffoonery; do not fear, Rin-san. Anyways, as I was saying –

There had been an undercurrent of expectation and excitement as Nagisa-kun accepted his chocolates. I am sure he noticed Gou-san’s pinkening cheeks as he thanked her, almost absent-mindedly repeating his gratitude two or three times – her agitation was palpable to both me and Hanamura-san. Gou-san uttered her welcome with an attempt at carelessness; though I am afraid she failed miserably. She was fidgeting so much that her skirt was creasing under her grasping fingers. She was looking down at the time, so she missed Nagisa-kun watching her fondly and with an uncharacteristic look of maturity. By then, the undercurrents were obvious and Hanamura-san and I began to feel that we were perhaps intruding upon a scene that we were playing mere background figures to.

But just as I was about to break the uncomfortable tension by offering Hanamura-san a chocolate, Nagisa-kun broke it himself, much to all of our surprise, evidently even Gou-san’s. He braced his fists on his knees and looked directly at Gou-san as he proclaimed in a cheerful voice, “Say Gou-chan, do you want to go out with me?”

There was a period of stunned silence. I will admit that I had thought that Nagisa-kun had been making a crude, inappropriate joke. I was frowning disapprovingly at him and would have scolded him for his tastelessness when Gou-san herself responded with, “ _This_ is how you ask a girl out?”

As I stared – for, again, I thought it was a joke and that Gou-san was simply playing along – she shook her head and rose with a huff. Nagisa-kun stared in dismay, stuttering slightly, “I thought Gou-chan wouldn’t want… a… a display! Wait! Gou-chan, don’t leave!”

But even as he scrambled up in a panic, Gou-san gave him a steely look and said, “Don’t you know me at all?”

I had to hand it to Gou-san; she really knew how to twist Nagisa-kun around her finger, only using the subtlest intonations of her words. She allowed the slightest hint of hurt into her voice and Nagisa-kun nearly cried in remorse. He made a motion to grab Gou-san’s hands to stop her from leaving, pulling back when Gou-san snatched them out of the way.

He said, still in a dismayed tone, “Gou-chan, I’m really, really sorry. I just thought… You wouldn’t want any nonsense… I didn’t mean–”

“Try again,” Gou-san interrupted him and Nagisa-kun shut up speaking immediately, watching her with wide eyes. To be frank, all of us were watching her with wide-eyed anticipation. Gou-san, however, seemed only aware of Nagisa-kun’s gaze as she repeated, “Try again, then.”

“You–” Nagisa-kun seemed to change his mind mid-word and said, “Won’t you give me your answer now, then?”

However, instead of answering, Gou-san pulled up Hanamura-san and left with her in tow, with a small nod of goodbye to me. I looked at Nagisa-kun then, trying to communicate _Please explain what I just witnessed_ for I was still in a state of bewilderment. Nagisa-kun gazed unseeingly at the spot that had been Gou-san’s seat and then let out an immense groan, clutching at his hair a little dramatically in my opinion.

“Rei-chan, I messed up,” he said to me then, in a wild sort of voice. “What do I do _now_?”

I asked, to receive concrete confirmation of my dawning inklings, “Was that a joke you all are playing on me or… was that a serious confession, Nagisa-kun?”

The scandalized look I received in response was enough to dispel any lingering doubts, even before he wailed out (much to my ears’ grievance), “No! Of course it wasn’t a joke! I really like Gou-chan and I thought– I thought she liked me back…” He wilted as he trailed off.

Seeing that the little scene had _not_ been orchestrated, I considered the situation quickly. Judging by Gou-san’s attitude as she’d left, she was certainly miffed, if not angry. However, by her parting words, she also seemed amenable to another effort by Nagisa-kun, provided he actually put thought and exertion into his next attempt. I said as much to Nagisa-kun and he asked, confusedly, “But… What kind of confession would she want?”

He’s truly such a handful; I wish Gou-san the best with managing him. Anyways, at the time, I put aside my impatience and instructed, “Something that would successfully portray how much you are willing to do to express your feelings for her. I’m sure she would not want much flamboyance, but an unusual but sentimental method of showcasing what she means to you would be the way to go, in my opinion.”

Nagisa-kun squinted at me. “Rei-chan, are you sure you’ve never had a girlfriend?”

“Of course not!!” My expression and tone must have been enough to convince Nagisa-kun of the complete absurdity and illogicality of such an idea for he soon moved on to musing what he could do to convince Gou-san. While Nagisa-kun was embroiled in heavy (and loud) thought of such matters, my mind turned to other investigative ones.

 

 

 

Swim practice that day was filled with pointed silences from Gou-san and attractive moping from Nagisa-kun (but I do not believe that that was a strategy on his part, he merely cannot help his abundant adorableness) while our newer members gave me questioning looks and speaking glances. (And I will say this: quite a few of them were a little… disappointed. I fear Gou-san being imminently ‘off the market’, as it is said, somewhat disheartened the boys that week. Though it is quite obvious that none of them would ever have a chance with our esteemed manager, the _possibility_ was a rather special aspect to their club activities. I do not pretend to understand this aspect.) However, the charged atmosphere had one advantage, in that that Gou-san was totally consumed with her strategy of bristling alertness and was easy to blindside.

So, using my skill for camouflage, I managed to corner Gou-san in the club room while the other members made their way home – Nagisa-kun included, as I advised him to spend some time in reflection upon the ‘special confession’ matter. She jumped, startled at the sight of me (I did say _skill_ ), and then subsided into a vaguely annoyed air.

“Aren’t you going home, Rei-kun?” she asked me. She was organizing her notes to put into her binder so I moved forward to hold a few of her papers so she could better assemble. In response to her question, I denied, making an excuse of some extra practice on my fly stroke (though I did not particularly need it as I have already perfected the most beautiful method that also maximizes velocity and minimizes muscle strain! As an aside, you may email me for details if you so wish, Rin-san, I would also like to know your opinion on certain decisions I have taken on diving angles.)

There was really no point in beating about the bush, and if I understand Gou-san, she is quite like me in that we don’t prefer to waste time; so I came straight out with it: “Gou-san, since when have you and Nagisa-kun harbored affections of a romantic persuasion for each other?”

She squinted at me. For a few minutes. But then she giggled, and then sighed.

“Trust you to put it in the most ridiculous wording ever,” Gou-san said in her customary snarky tone. I ignored her. “For a while, I suppose.”

“How long would be _a while_?”

“I only know about myself, Rei-kun,” she said and her tone quieted considerably. “I’ve liked Nagisa-kun since second year. Maybe a little before that, but I wasn’t aware of my feelings.”

Her attitude confused me but I understood that here was a path that I should tread with care. I proceeded with tact.

“Don’t you want to know Nagisa-kun’s affections in full breadth?”

Gou-san looked at me blankly. “Of course.”

“Then why are you playing games with him?” I blurted out against my better instincts. I had wanted to go a bit more subtly but it was too late. Gou-san’s gaze cooled to a sharp point and I winced in anticipation.

“Rei-kun, mind your own business.”

Her ire was justified, but so was mine, I felt. I folded my arms and met her stare with my own.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Gou-san,” I said. “But you and Nagisa-kun are both very special people in my life,” and at this, Gou-san’s eyes widened and she seemed slightly ashamed. But I went on, “Neither of you confided in me about this particular side to your relationship. But even with my limited knowledge, it is easy to distinguish that Nagisa-kun is head over heels for you, as goes the saying, and you return his feelings. So I am just extremely bewildered as to why you are prolonging, what seems to me at least, the inevitable.”

Gou-san sighed – I heard a distinct mumble of _so weird_ that the sigh attempted to cover; I ignored her – and placed the notes in her hands on the table. She seemed to be thinking, so I gave her the breathing space by starting to slide them into the clear file she’d laid aside for them. When she finally spoke, she directed her words to her hands.

“Okay, I’m not sure if I can make you understand this… but what I want from Nagisa-kun is sincerity. I want him to be honest with his feelings and about us.”

“What makes you think he wouldn’t be?”

Gou-san gave me a withering look. “Rei-kun, you saw how flippant he was today. No thought, no effort, it was almost like he didn’t even care about my response!”

“…H-He did say he didn’t want to put you on the spot–”

“Which was a very good excuse because that is totally something he’d take into consideration,” she interrupted, “but that’s just it. It wasn’t like that. He just wanted to avoid saying outright what he felt and what he wanted, so he took a clichéd and relaxed way of asking me out.”

Gou-san bit her lip and looked up at me with this… look in her eyes. I didn’t completely understand it. “I’m not playing with him, Rei-kun, but Nagisa-kun is already cagy and self-deprecating with his feelings and I don’t want our relationship,” she blushed prettily, “to be something he can hide in as well. If he’s not ready to be honest with himself, maybe he’s not ready to be with me.”

There was a pause after she finished speaking. Gou-san looked at me and then turned red. “W-Why are _you_ blushing like that?”

“U-Uh?!” I blinked, finally feeling the heat in my cheeks. “That was, um. Very touching, Gou-san. I believe that you are right.”

She stared at me. Then began having a giggling fit, bending over with her arms folded over her stomach. Of course, I dealt with it the way I always did: with dignity and patience. But when Gou-san finally hiccupped herself back to solemnity, she smiled at me.

“Thank you for looking out for us, Rei-kun.”

 

 

 

After that enlightening discussion with Gou-san, I kept an eye on Nagisa-kun and his proceedings, refusing to help him brainstorm but allowing myself to advise him discreetly a few times so that he didn’t go _completely_ overboard. Gou-san was indeed correct in her predictions, as proved by Nagisa-kun’s first couple of attempts – a helium balloon tied to her desk with his proposition spelled out with no care for grammar; a lovely red rose placed in her locker with a pin that said, ‘roses r sweet, violets blue, sugar so sweet!! I ♥ you’ – both were received with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Far from being discouraged, however, Nagisa-kun became more determined with each failed exercise to triumph spectacularly in the end. Observing both, I concluded that regardless of Gou-san’s sincere wish for Nagisa-kun’s honest confession, the two of them were rather enjoying themselves with all the pageantry. Nagisa-kun spoke fanatically about even more impressive displays – e.g. “I swear Rei-chan, if this doesn’t get her, I don’t know _what_ will!!” He was referring to hiring the trumpeters from the school concert band to play Debussy’s Clair de Lune while he tried to waltz with Gou-san around the classroom: ‘tried’ being the operative word here. I had a headache for a week. Our concert band has not won many medals – and Gou-san complained about his absurdity with a secret smile. It was as if they enjoyed baiting and playing with each other.

I honestly don’t understand love.

But let me fast-forward to relevant events, much as I would like to bemoan what my life was reduced to for that entire month: a week after the trumpet debacle, Gou-san and I showed up at swim practice to find the lane lines removed and the pool filled with multi-colored beach balls and our team members. We exchanged glances, knowing full well that Nagisa-kun was behind this but before we could say a word, music began playing from a stereo placed on a starting block.

The swimmers began swimming a choreographed number, flexing and showboating their muscles too often to be choreographed with aesthetic in mind; but when I glanced over at Gou-san, she was, predictably, staring with rapt and blatant enjoyment. They moved smoothly into formation, holding the beach balls over their heads in the finale, spelling out, “I like you, Gou-chan,” albeit without the punctuation as they did not have space for grammar. They stayed in position while I struggled not to laugh and Gou-san bit her lip and tried not to look pleased, and then fell out of position as Nagisa-kun’s voice said from behind us, “So go out with me, Gou-chan?”

We turned to find Nagisa-kun holding out Super Muscle Iwatobi-chan – seriously, do not ask. At least, don’t ask me. Address your queries to Gou-san solely – still dressed in his uniform. Gou-san considered him with her head cocked to the side. Then she grinned.

Nagisa-kun grinned hopefully.

“Maybe if _you_ were shirtless.”

Nagisa-kun deflated.

“Gou-chan, come _on_!”

She shook her head and began to walk to the club room to grab her timer and whistle. “I’ll admit, you’re much closer than you were before though,” she called out over her shoulder and Nagisa huffed.

A first year swam up and pushed out of the pool, looking eagerly to Nagisa-kun. “Fukubuchou, did it work?!”

Nagisa-kun shook his head. “Gou-chan is a master at playing hard-to-get, apparently.” When he saw his first year wilt at his gloomy tone, he beamed. Nagisa-kun reached out and hit Futoshi-kun smartly on his back, addressing our team loudly, “Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate the help!”

Yells of, “No problem, fukubuchou!” “You’re welcome!”  “It didn’t work thou – ow!” “Shut _up_ , Nakamura!” filtered out. Seeing that some people were playing with some of the beach balls on the other end, I called out to them to get started with practice.

As everyone scampered off to bring back the lane lines and get rid of the balls somehow, I watched Nagisa-kun watching the bustle while biting his lip; very reminiscent of Gou-san doing so just a few days ago. For a while, it seemed that he was going to keep his thoughts to himself, so I was about to move away to begin warming up, when he spoke up, unhappiness evident in his tone.

“Rei-chan, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong! I’m honestly getting frustrated now. I might just go up to Gou-chan and tell her I want her to be my girlfriend and that’s that.”

 _That might be what Gou-san has in mind_ , I thought to myself, but to Nagisa-kun I said, “You’re over-thinking it.”

He glanced at me, clearly not expecting that response. “Eh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you are over-thinking matters, Nagisa-kun. Stop trying to ‘figure out’ what Gou-san wants. Thinking isn’t exactly your strong point anyway.”

He pouted. “Rei-chan, don’t be _mean_!”

I shook my head at him. As clever as Nagisa-kun is when it comes to other people and their problems, he was utterly oblivious when it came to his own. “You should focus less on trying to do as you think Gou-san would want you to do, and more on what _you_ want to do. Just follow your instincts.”

There was silence after this counsel of mine. Nagisa-kun stared at me and I shifted, adjusting my glasses on my nose in a more comfortable position.

“Did… Did Rei-chan just tell me to follow my heart?”

I sighed. No, he didn’t let that go for days. Let’s move on.

 

 

 

The next day, when I accompanied Gou-san to her locker on our way out after school, Nagisa-kun having ‘mysteriously disappeared’, a cream envelope fell out from underneath Gou-san’s shoes as she took them out. She picked it up, sighing, “If there’s another nursery rhyme in here, I really will refuse to ever date him.”

“I think that previous attempt was a desperate attempt, actually,” I said, remember how the day before that incident, my cell phone had been besieged by rambling texts from Nagisa-kun.

“Desperate is not a good look on him, much to my surprise,” she replied with sass, but sobered as she read the letter. There was a short pause while Gou-san very obviously analyzed the cause, intent, delivery and degree of sincerity of the letter – much like a vapid heroine of a shoujo manga. I regretted applying the adjective ‘vapid’ to Gou-san immediately when she turned to me and asked accusatorily, “Do you know anything about this?”

I peered at the letter. It contained two lines.

 

> Please meet me at the lookout point.  
>  …I don’t have balloons, or chocolates, I promise.

 

“It is very pretty stationery and the penmanship is quite neat and pleasing to the eye,” I commented. Gou-san’s eyes narrowed and I finished hastily, “Which is quite an achievement for Nagisa-kun because I had nothing to do with this.”

“You didn’t give him any ideas?”

“None.”

“You didn’t… hint?”

I looked at her in affront. “I have a sense of honor, I hope.”

“Oh,” she said, looking stumped. The beginnings of a light blush lighted the tips of her ears as she read the unusually succinct note. “Well. What. W-What do I do now?”

Honestly. I doubt they would have gotten _anywhere_ with each other without me.

“Gou-san,” I said patiently, “It is pretty clear what you have to do now.”

She looked at me.

“You have to meet with Nagisa-kun, hear what he has to say, and hopefully, end this rather nonsensical string of events.”

“Right, you’re… right.” She read the note again, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. “He’s really going to be serious this time, isn’t he? Rei-kun, I’m nervous.”

Something effervescent seemed to rise from her and reach even me, who was little more than an observer. It was that feeling, the awkward and warming feeling that I might be viewing something meaningful that prompted me to ask:

“Are you in love, Gou-san?”

She looked at me, startled, but there was wonder in her gaze. “I guess… I am.”

She seemed dazed by the very idea so I was gentle when I said, “You should tell him that.”

That, I suppose, is exactly what she ended up doing. The details, I am not privy to and I am not going to ask; I hardly think they would tell me even if I did. But regardless of the details, all it took was some proper communication and a little less doubt and theatrics.

This could all have been solved three weeks earlier, in fact.

 

 

 

That might seem rather an anti-climatic ending because that’s exactly what it was: an utter anti-climax. After all that ridiculous parading, Gou-san and Nagisa-kun got together with little to no fanfare in the end, and the only real difference was felt by them, not by the rest of us.

I do not know what the future holds for them or for any of us, but their romance, so to say, was built on a solid foundation of friendship. So I wouldn’t worry much. They can take care of themselves and each other. Whatever may come, that much will always be true.

Now please, I am very busy, so stop emailing me about this or I shall mark you all as spam.

**Author's Note:**

> ~~Was that soapy enough.~~
> 
> **rin** : trust you to kill the romance  
>  **sousuke** : sorry  
>  **haru** : I didn’t even send the email, Makoto stole my laptop  
>  **makoto** : ^^; sorry rei, thank you for that, um, extensive report!


End file.
